Energy Unplugged by Aurora EP.176 James Johnston, CEO and Co-Founder, Piclo
In this episode of Energy Unplugged, James Johnston, CEO & Co-Founder of Piclo, engages in a discussion with Matteo Coriglioni, our Head of Italy, and Eva Zimmermann, Associate at Aurora. Together, they delve into the roles that flexibility and the deployment of new flexible technologies play as two of the key enabling factors for the energy transition.
James, who initiated his career with three years of microgrid research at the University of Strathclyde, co-founded Solar Sketch in 2009—a design company for the solar industry. He also gained experience at the international engineering firm Arup. In 2013, James co-founded Piclo, the leading marketplace for flexibility services. The platform has been steadily expanding its presence across the UK, Europe, and the USA. James is recognised as a sought-after expert and published author, contributing chapters to academic books on peer-to-peer energy and local flexibility trading.
Main topics include the following:
•Why are flexibility and flexibility analysis crucial right now?
•Are grid constraints more of an opportunity or of a bottleneck for flexibility assets development?
•How are Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and Distribution System Operators (DSOs) coordinating, and how can they improve their level of coordination?